How I Saved the World Before Vacation Started
by justanordinarygirlsas
Summary: Alissa Taylor is not your typical kind of girl...unless you count a teenage girl with ADHD and dyslexia typical. Suit yourself. What happens when two guys randomly appear at school and turn her life upside down? What's Camp Half-Blood, anyway? READ
1. Two Idiots Show Up in My Class

**How I Saved the World Before Summer Vacation Started**

This is yet another tale of a demigod worth remembering at Camp-Half Blood. As years come, many more will be recognized. This epic is about some of our most promising demigods, still full of limitless possibilities. This information could be dangerous and unsafe to read. Should you so choose, close this book now and avoid the consequences you may receive for knowing this information.

For all others, read on to discover the story of Alissa Taylor and her quest with Thomas Walker and David Myers...

"Wake up!"

Someone shook my shoulder urgently.

"Miss Taylor?"

I groaned. Then, right next to my ear:

"Alissa, wake up!" I felt hands push me sideways. My eyes snapped open and my hands shot out wildly as I fell, at the last moment grabbing hold of something. It was my desk.

I looked around. Sitting at the desk to the left of me was Connor Gerlin. He had a smirk on his face and one hand covering his mouth. Connor took pride on being, what was in his mind, perfect. Anyone who didn't meet his standards was a loser. He was the kind of guy who decided if he liked you or not the moment you walked into his line of sight. Connor's never liked me. Big surprise. Right now he was giving me his special look that said, _I'm so much better than you. In __every way. Ha. _I rolled my eyes at him and turned away.

To the right of me was Chimi. Chimi was your All-American kind of girl. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and a smile with teeth whiter than bleach. Of course, her teeth weren't showing right now as she faced me with a scowl on her face and her hands crossed. She was the one who had shoved me awake. I gave Chimi a guilty look so she would think I was sad I displeased her. In case it is difficult to tell, Chimi was my best friend.

I sat in the front row of desks, so I turned 180 degrees in my chair to look at the rest of the class. Everyone was staring at me. Figures. "Ahem." Ms. Coogan was standing over me and staring down at me, her eyes beady like a snake's and her nose pointer than usual, if that was even possible. Her dark hair was piled on the top her head and looked like a rat's nest. In one hand she tightly gripped a piece of chalk so infinitely small I wondered how she could possibly make one line on the board. In the other hand she held her infamous pointing stick, still pointing mid-air at a few lines of some boring play Shakespeare wrote that we needed to know for our final. I couldn't have told you what it was even if I didn't have dyslexia. We learned too much Shakespeare at school. Just thinking about Shakespeare made me sleepy again.

"Well, Miss Taylor," started Ms. Coogan. Oh yeah, she was that teacher who called you by your last name. She said it would remind us to be more mature when we acted like children. The last time I checked, that is what all of us are. "You've awoken just in time to receive your special gift." Ms. Coogan spat at me.

"What could it be?" I asked sarcastically. Ms. Coogan handed me the bright red slip from her desk with my name scrawled on the top. Yay. More detention.

Welcome to Barnstable Acadamy, the wonderful and welcoming college-preparatory school, also referred to as The New School My Rich Mother Decided to Drop Me Off at Until I Get Expelled and Need to Go to Another One. Again. At 8 Wright Way, Barnstable Acadamy, or B.S as I like to call it, specializes in training students who learn _differently. _That's how they put it at least. I'm not kidding. The principal calls the school a "premier college-prep day school

in northern New Jersey for students who learn differently." This is my fourth school this year. Don't ask how I got kicked out of all the others because all of the stories are stupid and confusing. Let's just say it's not my fault when something explodes; I just always get blamed for it. My mom hoped a school that specializes in handling kids with ADHD would be able to control me so she wouldn't have to deal with me and my problems. I have an attention deficit disorder _and _dyslexia, by the way, in case you're not following. The tuition to be in this lovely school is $28,750, not that money is a problem for me. In fact, it's the only problem I don't have. My parents are screwed up, my head is screwed up, and my life is screwed up. I have money. Big whoop.

Before I continue, let's just get one thing straight. I'm not some tough delinquent who loses her temper and bounces off the walls. If I was I think my mom would stick me in foster care. If anything, I _look _pretty normal. I don't have tattoos or piercings, and I don't have any colors in my hair besides my natural brown. I wear jeans and t-shirts and listen to my iPod, just like everyone else does. I'm not a freak. At least, that's what I tell myself.

Anyways, so I was sitting in my chair, not really paying attention to anything Ms. Coogan said to me about being irresponsible, when the door to our class opened. Mrs. June, a secretary, walked in the room. She gave Ms. Coogan a sheet of paper, nodded her head, and walked out the door. Mrs. June didn't say much. Ms. Coogan studied the paper for a moment and then threw it into the garbage next to her.

"Class," said Ms. Coogan. "We have two new students. Make them feel welcome or you all get detention." I turned towards the door and realized two people were standing in the doorway. "Well, are you just going to stand there?" Ms. Coogan asked. Two boys walked into our classroom. The first boy had shaggy blond hair that was on the verge of covering his big green eyes. He was smiling as he walked in, a slight bounce to his step. He looked fit, his toned muscles visible through his t-shirt. Of course, I'm sure he wore that blue shirt two sizes too small by accident.

The other boy followed Blondy after a moment of hesitation. Although comfortable, I could tell this kid was more careful than the other. His hair was shorter than Blondy's and was a dark shade of brown. His eyes were green too, but they were focused on Blondy instead of the class. This guy had his hands tucked in the pocket of his jeans and wore a loose black t-shirt. Hey, I told you t-shirts and jeans were popular.

"Hello, mates," the blond kid said. His voice was thick with a British accent. "My name is David Myers." David smiled at one of the girls who sat behind me. She almost squealed with delight. I rolled my eyes, turning to Chimi so she could see how ridiculous I thought this guy was. Chimi was too busy staring at the two boys, and I mean _staring _at them. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide, studying their every move. Great.

I realized the boy with the brown hair hadn't said anything. David clapped him on the back and said, "This here is Thomas Walker."

"Why can't Thomas Walker speak for himself?" Oops. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. Ms. Coogan gave me a death stare but I pretended I didn't see. Connor rolled his eyes at me. I wanted to punch him.

Thomas wriggled out from under David's grip.

"I can speak for myself," he said in a completely American accent, but David grabbed Thomas again and rustled his hair.

"Yes, but I'm the ladies man," All the girls laughed. Nobody was paying attention to Thomas but me. His face was red, but he looked more pissed then embarrassed. He took a deep breath and I swear I could see him counting to five before he exhaled. A dude with anger issues?

That could get interesting.

Thomas raised his eyebrows at David, almost like he was _warning _him, but before anything could happen Ms. Coogan spoke up.

"If the two of you could please take your seats in the back, that would be wonderful," she said. I swear you could hear all the girls sigh when they heard they wouldn't be able to stare at the back of David's head. Even Ms. Coogan looked at David just a second too long before turning back to the chalkboard. Gross.

David and Thomas took their seats as told, and Ms. Coogan went back to reviewing for our final in three weeks, ignoring the giggles of girls every few minutes. As I sat there, not paying attention to our pointy-nosed teacher, a thought occurred to me. Why did two new students come to school three weeks before finals? Somehow that didn't make much sense to me, but I didn't have time to think about it anymore because just then the bell rang.

The students hurried out of the classroom, anxious to talk about the new arrivals. I saw the girls split up as Thomas and David looked at their schedules and then headed in opposite directions. I rolled my eyes for the tenth time today and started walking to my next class with Chimi.

******************************************************

End of Chapter One!  
>This is the first story of mine I've posted, so let me know what you think! I'm new here=]<p>

*NEWBIE*


	2. I Have a Vivid Imagination

**UPDATE: Sorry, everyone. I fixed the weird spacing glitch in this chapter. Feel free to now read it without getting a headache! Thanks=]**

"Did you see those two boys?" Chimi asked me.

"Yes, Chimi. I saw them," I replied. Chimi droned on and on about how "special" they were, and I just tuned her out as usual. Instead, I thought of how strange it was the school accepted new students when the school year was pretty much finished.

"They are finally here," Chimi murmured. "Oh my gods, this is amazing!" If I had been paying attention, maybe I would have noticed that Chimi wasn't making much sense. Instead I just nodded my head and agreed with her.

"It's amazing," I echoed. Suddenly, Chimi stopped short and stood in front of me.

"Are you even paying attention to what is coming out of my mouth?" She whined.

"I'm listening, Chimi," I replied absently.

"No, you're not!" she retorted. "You aren't even looking at me when I talk!" In response, I lifted my head up and looked right at Chimi. Chimi might be a pain sometimes, but she normally didn't complain _this _much.

"I'm looking at you right now," I said. Then, things got weird. When I looked at Chimi closely, her body almost seemed to shimmer, and it wasn't because of any body glitter she was wearing. "Chimi, are you okay?" I asked her. Okay, I was sure of it. Chimi's arms and legs were shimmering and seemed to swell larger. Chimi kept speaking, ignoring my comments.

"You're not looking at my head," she said. I stepped back in surprise as Chimi's began to inflate like a balloon and hair seemed to grow from her chin. "You're not looking at my body!" she said angrily.

"_What?_" I was really confused now, but as I watched, Chimi's body became full of hair and her hands became round and circular. _Hooves. _I grabbed hold of a water fountain next to me for support, feeling dizzy. Something had to be wrong with me. I looked quickly around the room. It was strangely quiet. The bell hadn't even rung yet, but there wasn't a person in sight.

That didn't exactly reassure me.

"Chimi, I think I'm sick," I gasped. I had to be imagining this.

"You're my best friend, Alissa, and you're not even looking at my tail!" I really didn't want to look, but I couldn't help seeing what was right in front of me. A hole appeared in the back pocket of Chimi's Lucky jeans. A snake slithered out of her jeans with sharp fangs and a tounge that flickered back and forth. It stopped short and was pulled back a few inches, almost as if it was _attached _to Chimi.

I screamed and blinked my eyes several times. Standing in front of me was not Chimi. Her body had stopped shimmering, and in its place was something much worse. Chimi's blond hair had fanned out all around her rounded face, forming something that looked like a mane. It _was _a mane. I could swear I saw whiskers by her nose. I dropped all the books I was carrying.

The pages stuck loosely in my binder sprawled all across the floor, but I didn't notice. Chimi was on all fours, but her hands and feet were now hooves and her stomach was furry. As a final touch, the snake-tail was attached to Chimi's furry behind. Chimi had the face of a lion, the body of a goat, and a snake tail.

"I think I'm still dreaming in English class," I croaked. Chimi, or whatever she was, roared at me defiantly and opened her mouth wide.

The room suddenly became very hot. I dove to the left and fell to the floor, gazing back at a huge smoking hole in the wall right where my face had just been. My heart pounded fiercely, and I had never felt so alert. I grasped at the ground and stumbled forward, pulling myself up and running for my life. I heard Chimi cackle behind me, but I didn't turn around to see what she was doing. I didn't know if I was crazy or not, but I decided to wait until after I was being chased to decide.

I ran down the hallway frantically, looking for somewhere I could hide. All the doors to the classrooms were closed tightly. The gym was a few doors down. I crossed my fingers for an instant and then ran into the gym, panting and breathing heavily. I was about to collapse when I stopped dead in my tracks.

In the gym was another Lion- Goat-Snake Monster. I gasped and then clamped my hands over my mouth. Then, I noticed I wasn't the only one in the room. Thomas, the new kid, was standing in front of the monster, his jaw firm and his eyes angry.

Thomas turned as I gasped and saw me.

"Get out of here, kid!" He said urgently. Then he turned back to face the monster and backed up slowly. That sounded just fine to me, and I took a step away from whatever my mind was imagining was on the other side of the gym. Just before I ran, the monster let out a roar and tilted its head back, its mouth open wide.

I don't know why I did it. I had no idea who this guy was, but instinct took over me and suddenly I was next to Thomas. I didn't bother to stop. Instead, I grabbed Thomas and threw him to the ground. As we fell, a ball of fire came hurtling towards us, sailing just over me. I could smell the singed hairs on the top of my head. I was lying on top of a very confused Thomas, my hands holding his down and my face only inches away.

"It-," I gasped. "It breathes fire." My chest heaved as I struggled to inhale and exhale properly. I could feel Thomas's chest move up and down as he too took in deep breaths. Thomas's wide green eyes stared at me, seeming more confused than ever.

"Wait," he said. Are you the girl?" This took me by surprise. Now I was the confused one.

"What are you-." I was cut off as another blast of fire came our way. Thomas quickly pinned me to him and rolled us away from harm. It would have been a little funny if I wasn't so scared.

Thomas and I got to our feet and distanced ourselves from the monster. Unfortunately, someone had left a full sack of basketballs in the corner of the gym. The monster began to hurl those at us. I quickly dodged a ball destined to break my face as Thomas ducked out of the way of another fireball.

"Distract it!" Thomas shouted before he took off across the gym, leaving me alone. My hands shook as the monster roared at me. I looked around for something, anything, I could use against the monster. There was nothing. I saw Thomas running past the monster to the far end of the gym.. What was he doing? The lion head whipped around and began to follow Thomas.

That's when I realized we would both die unless I did something fast. I had no weapon, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"Hey, you big, ugly Lion!" I yelled. The monster turned to look at me. It roared so loud I had to cover my ears. I took a big gulp before continuing. "You are so stupid! I don't like the part of you that is a goat either! You smell terrible!" I kept hurling any insult I could think of. Most of them didn't even make sense. For example: "That dress makes you look fat!" I screamed. At least it was working. The monster was focusing on me instead of Thomas.

I looked around the gym, searching for him. I couldn't see him anywhere. All I did see was a really angry monster coming towards me with its teeth bared.

I started to scream. The monster took each step towards me slowly, as if it was purposely making my death very dramatic. In the back of my mind, I wondered if my life would flash before me the way it did in movies. Before I got the chance to find out, a sword burst through the throat of the monster.

I flinched as the sword was slowly pulled out of the monster by Thomas, his face hard. The monster suddenly fell to the floor, its body disintegrating into a gold powder.

End of Chappy 2! =]

For those of you who have stayed with the story, you have to read the next chapter! It's my favorite.

Alissa and Thomas aren't safe yet...

So what do you guys think? Do you like Thomas? Maybe a little romance between the two? Hehehe...

Please, please, PLEASEEE read and review. You guys have no idea how much your comments mean to me!

Thanks!


	3. Getting Some Action

Thomas dropped his sword and fell to the ground, his face contorted with pain. Although I was still in shock, I ran to Thomas, tears threatening to spill over and run down my cheeks. I had no idea what was going on, and I was scared out of my mind, but I knelt on the floor next to Thomas and managed to put on a calm face. Inside, I was more than ready to burst.

"That was pretty good," Thomas said to me. "Nice work. I'm Thomas. What's your name?" Thomas winced.

"You're hurt," I replied.

"I'm fine," he said, although he obviously wasn't. "It's just a little burn." I looked down at his left leg and couldn't help gasping. His jeans were missing from the knee down. In place of the missing fabric was a burn, bright red, bleeding, and already swollen. He must have been burned by the fire. Thomas wouldn't be able to walk. Could I carry him and look for help?

"No," Thomas said, knowing what I was thinking. "We can't go to a doctor." I didn't know what to do.

"You need medical help," I told him.

"No," Thomas said again. I sighed. What could I do? I couldn't drag him out of the gym against his will. I don't think I could get Thomas out of the gym even if he _was_ willing. He had to be heavy, and I wasn't exactly a bodybuilder. The stubborn look remained on Thomas's face.

"Fine," I surrendered, glaring at Thomas. I ignored the soft chuckle that escaped his lips but couldn't help flinching when his laugh turned into a moan.

I snapped my eyes shut, begging for my brain to find some solution to the problem at hand. My breath slowed and my thoughts became clearer. It was like a voice was whispering to me, telling me what I needed to do. Almost in a trance, I stuck my hands out.

"What are you doing?" Thomas asked me, looking anxious. I didn't answer, and instead placed my hands on his injured leg. Thomas's entire body tensed and he yelled in pain as my hand pressed down on his burn. He tried to get up, but couldn't.

Thomas's fists were clenched and he was shaking. His moans turned to strangled yells. I was about to lift my hands, unable to take his agony any longer, when Thomas stopped protesting. I looked down at Thomas's leg. It was _glowing_. I gasped, but I didn't let go of Thomas. His breathing slowed down as the glow faded. When I lifted my hands carefully, there was no sign of the burn.

"I'm Alissa, by the way," I said to him quietly, unable to even register what I had done. Thomas looked up at me in shock.

"How did you do that?" he asked me.

"I have no idea," I said. I couldn't think.

"Well, thanks!" he replied, not pushing the subject any further. Thomas stood up and walked around. He seemed perfectly fine. I stood up too, but immediately I wished I hadn't. I suddenly felt exhausted. I felt dizzy and I grabbed my knees for support. Thomas steadied me.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," I told him. My head started to clear and I stood up again. "Now, can you please tell me what is going on?" Thomas looked at me with sympathy, which honestly only annoyed me. I was tired and possibly crazy. I didn't want his sympathy.

"I swear I'll explain everything, but I need to get you out of here," Thomas said to me. I was too freaked out to complain, but the next moment I stopped in my tracks.

"Thomas," I whimpered. "She's back."

"Who's back?" he asked. Then he stopped too. Standing in the doorway of the gym was Chimi, still in monster form.

"Chimi's back!" Chimi shouted. "Do you get it now, Alissa? My name is Chimi, and I'm a Chimera!" I didn't get it, but I wasn't going to say anything. "Oh, and I see you've made a new friend!" she sang. "That's okay!" Her face suddenly became fierce and Chimi roared. "I was only summoned to kill you, but this is much more fun!" she snarled.

"Quick, take this!" Thomas shouted, unsheathing a knife and throwing into my hands before I could react. I grabbed the hilt of the blade, miraculously catching it without cutting myself.

Then, Thomas and I jumped in opposite directions as Chimi breathed a column of fire straight at us. I jumped back to my feet and ran towards Chimi, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Thomas was ahead of me, his sword in his hand.

Thomas came face to face with Chimi the Chimera. Chimi rose up on two legs and punched her hooves toward Thomas, but he deflected each strike with his blade. I ran around to the other side of Chimi, where her snake-tail was. I had no idea how to use a knife, but I kept shoving it in the snake's direction to keep it away from Thomas. It was the only way I could help.

Thomas was fighting well, deflecting every blow Chimi made. He even bumped her on her furry head with the butt of his sword. All he did, though, was make Chimi angrier. She managed to push Thomas on the ground with her hooves, leaving him defenseless for a minute. Then, Chimi roared and opened her mouth wide. I knew what that meant by now. If Thomas didn't get out of the way _right now_, he would be barbecued.

"Thomas, run!" I yelled, waving my arms like crazy. Thomas looked up at me and ran to the side to get out of the way of the fire, but Chimi didn't attack him. Instead, she whipped her head around towards _me_. Her snake-tail was staring at me with beady eyes.

"Take her," Chimi told her tail. I swear I could see the snake smile at me. In an instant, the snake had curled itself around my torso and lifted me in the air, my legs dangling. Already, it held me so tight it was hard to breathe. I gasped and pulled at the snake, trying to pry it from my body, but it didn't even budge.

I couldn't see Thomas, but I heard him fighting with Chimi. He was shouting and hitting her. I could feel Chimi stagger backwards as each blow Thomas made struck hard. I thrashed in the air, trying to get free and help Thomas, but it was no use. And I was running out of air.

Suddenly, Chimi took a leap forward and I heard Thomas give a cry of pain as the Chimera made contact with him. I heard the clatter on the floor as his sword was thrown across the room. There was a moment of silence, then another yell from Thomas. My heart raced as my eyes found my knife wedged tight between my hip and a coil of the snake. Without hesitating, I grabbed the knife and pulled it out forcefully.

I ignored the sharp pain in my side and flung the point of the knife into the body of the Chimera. As soon as I did that, the snake-tail went wild. It flung me up and down, and I heard Chimi roar in pain. I felt a searing pain in my arm and looked down to see the snake's jaw clamped tight on my wrist. I pushed the knife deeper into Chimi and felt the snake's mouth unclasp. Then, I was in the air, being thrown away from Chimi and Thomas.

My head hit something hard, and I crumpled. I didn't know if I'd hit the floor or a wall or something else entirely. My head pounded, and I blinked several times to get rid of the black spots that kept dancing in front of me. Gasping for breath, I reached my hand out, trying to get my bearings. That was when I felt something furry. I looked up slowly. Of course, Chimi stood above me, grinning wickedly.

I sat up carefully, my back against the cold wall of the gym.

"You were my best friend," Chimi said to me. "I'm sorry it has to end like this."

There was nothing I could do. I was in no shape to even try to fight Chimi, and my knife had fallen somewhere when I was thrown. Chimi opened her mouth, baring her sharp teeth, and edged closer. I whimpered softly. This was the most confusing way to die ever.

My head spun, and I closed my eyes, just wanting it to be over soon. Something grabbed me, and I flinched. I didn't feel any pain, though. I opened my eyes, ignoring the nausea I felt. Kneeling in front of me, his arms spread out protectively, was Thomas.

My heart did a little flip as I realized we still had a chance. Then, I took a better look at Thomas. His back was to me, so I couldn't see much, but he looked just as bad as I was. The right side of his shirt was soaked with blood, and visible bruises and cuts were marked all over the side of his face. His sword was lying across the gym, bent out of shape.

We were both going to die in this gym. Chimi knew it, too. She let out a roar. Thomas just shifted closer to me, blocking me from Chimi. Chimi just roared again in triumph. Then, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth wider than I had ever seen. I closed by eyes and buried my face into Thomas's shoulder.

I heard someone yell, and then an agonizing roar from Chimi. I lifted my head up. Chimi stood in front of us, her mouth still open but her eyes wide with surprise. Stuck in her throat was an arrow.

Slowly, Chimi disintegrated into gold powder. Behind her, David lowered the bow he was holding and looked over the scene.

"That was fun!" he said. "Let's do it again!"

**End of Chapter Threeeeeee!**

**I really hope everyone liked it! This is probably my favorite chapter.**

**Okay. So there is one thing I'd like to say.**

**The next chapter will be very short.**

**Like you-don't-get-how-short-it-will-be-but-still-totally-awesome-short.**

**Why? Cuz I like cliffhangers. =]**

**BUT! No worries. Because it was supposed to be part of this chapter. (Which is quite long...You're welcome.) I just love David so flipping much I had to end it with his beautiful entrance. So please, no hate mail for the short chappy, only love. 3**

**You know what? I'll post it right after I publish this. On ONE condition. Everyone review this chapter, because it is my life. I'm sure you'll listen.**

**Well, please do. I like reviews. And long notes at the end of my chapters. I'll shut up now.**

**Kudos to you if you've read this far and/or this incredibly long note.**

***Shut up and write your story***

**^Okay.**


	4. Black

I heard Thomas breathe a sigh of relief. I realized I was holding my breath. I let Thomas go and exhaled. David crossed over to me and Thomas. He clapped Thomas on the back and hauled him up by his good arm. Thomas held out his hand and helped me to my feet.

"You couldn't have come any sooner?" he asked David.

"That would ruin all the fun, wouldn't it?" David replied. I didn't know if he was joking or not, but Thomas didn't seem upset. Actually, the two seemed extremely close, unlike the way they appeared in Ms. Coogan's class.

Thomas turned to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I wasn't. My head still spun and my entire body was in pain.

"I'm fine," I lied. David seemed to notice me for the first time.

"Who's this mate of yours, hm?" he asked Thomas, gesturing to me.

"Alissa, this is David," Thomas said. David gave Thomas a knowing look.

"Is she the one?"

"Definitely."

By this point, I was tired of not knowing what people were talking about.

"I'm standing right here," I said irritably. My voice grew louder with every word. "What are you talking about?" Ow. My head hurt.

Thomas was giving me that sympathetic look again. David was just standing there smiling to himself. I threw my arms up in frustration. Suddenly, David stopped smiling. He looked at me more closely, acting totally serious. His face was full of concern.

"What?" I asked, annoyed. David grabbed my arm, studying it like it was a time bomb. I tried to pull my hand back, but David held on. "Stop it!" I yelled. My head really was hurting now.

"Alissa," David said, completely serious. "Did the snake on the tail of the Chimera bite you?" I looked at him carefully.

"Yes," I said hesitantly. David looked at me in panic. I thought he was just trying to scare me, but Thomas grabbed my arm and studied the bite on my wrist. He bit his lip worriedly before taking a deep breath.

"Just relax, Alissa," Thomas said to me, his green eyes looking straight at me. "You'll be okay." David raised his eyebrows at Thomas.

"Why wouldn't I be okay? Will someone please tell me what is going on already?" I yelled. Then I felt it. My head pounded harder than ever. I held my hands up. Did I always have four hands? The small burning sensation in my arm spread through me like a fire. So did the dizziness I'd been feeling. I didn't remember falling, but I felt a pair of strong arms catch me.

"I've got her," David said.

Then everything went black.

**End of Chapter Quattro.**

**You wanted more? Oh well. You'll have to wait a little bit. This note might even be longer than the chapter! Just so you know, the next update might not be for a few days...**

**Which gives you lot's of time to REVIEW. Yes? Of course=]**

**Confession Time:**

**I originally wrote this story for a really cool English paper and kind of got carried away. This means three things.**

**1. I can post new entries fairly quickly, which will probably NOT be the case for future stories...but you should read those too!**

**2. The Mythology, places, even that school in the beginning of the story, are base on REAL research. Pretty cool, huh?**

**3. (Pretty much the only reason I'm writing this length note.) I had to end my story pretty abruptly when I couldn't finish it before my due date. I would love carrying out my story and making it the full crazy tale I dreamed of, with my perfect beginning, middle, and ending.**

**BUT.**

**That is a heck of a lot of work, and I honestly don't want to invest all that time into completely rearranging what was already written unless people actually care. So if you do...please, please, pleaseee let me know! If it'a only a couple people that is enough for me, but this is where reviews really do matter to me. **

**So review, favorite, do whatever you want to let me know you'd like to read more without getting bored by rash plots.**

**And also one more thing! (Last thing, I swear!)**

**Thank you all SO SO much. When I read even one comment I honestly want to cry. Ask my sister. (Well, you can't, but...)**

**Just, THANK YOU. I had no idea even one person would care enough to read this. *sniffle***

**Okay, I'm done I swear. I won't do this again. Promise.**

**Bye=]**

***cough cough REVIEW cough cough***


	5. Waking Up

My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to a bright light shining. My entire body ached and felt cramped. I blinked several times and focused. I was in a car, my back pressed against the right door. A beam of light was shining through the window, creating a late afternoon glow. A man I didn't recognize was driving the car.

I Iooked slowly to my left, my neck feeling stiff. Next to me was Thomas, who was watching me closely. My pulse quickened slightly as I felt the close proximity of Thomas and I. Whether I felt fear or...something else, was impossible to decipher. My head hurt too much. I moaned softly. I tried to straighten my body, but my head was spinning too much for me to do anything but stay still.

"Hey," Thomas said quietly. "How are you feeling?" I looked at Thomas, not sure if I should respond. I had no idea where I was, or where this car was taking us. I looked around Thomas to find David sleeping soundly, his lips slightly parted.

"Here," Thomas said, handing me a square of something that looked like a type of candy. "It's called ambrosia," he explained. "It will make you feel better." I took the square hesitantly, but popped it into my mouth. It tasted sweet, like the taffy I would buy with Mom when I was little, and as soon as I swallowed it the pain in my head subsided. I sat up carefully, waiting for a rush of nausea, but nothing happened.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," he responded. "You're really lucky," he told me. "That bite would have killed you if we didn't have any of this stuff handy."

"What is it?" I asked him, curiosity getting the best of me. I saw Thomas open his mouth to speak, but he hesitated.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," he started. "I'm not really sure how to explain all of this, but I remember how I felt when I first found out about Camp Half-Blood." I stayed silent, nodding for Thomas to continue. I was completely confused, and a little firghtened, but I figured I should let Thomas tell me what was going on while we had the chance.

"Ambrosia is the food of the gods," he told me. "Greek gods, and other gods around the world, still exist today," Thomas said, growing quieter as he spoke. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'm not very good at introducing the whole 'Gods Exist' concept."

Of course, I thought this guy was insane.

"You do know I don't believe a word you're saying to me, right?" I asked, but inside I felt the smallest bit of uncertainty. How else could I explain what had just happened with Chimi? I didn't want to accept that I was insane, but I pushed Thomas's explanation out of my head.

"You will," Thomas replied simply. He sat up suddenly, with a sense of urgency. He looked straight at me, his gaze unwavering. "We don't have much time to talk. Alissa, you are are a demigod, also known as a child of a god."

Thomas kept talking before I could even try to stop him. "I know it sounds crazy, but you are just going to have to trust me on this. Soon, you'll find out who your parent is, and you'll have to start fighting too." I closed my eyes, trying to not to scream. I was angry. Here I was, riding in a car with three guys I didn't know, with no _sane_ explanation for anything that happened. I had a reason to freak out, especially after realizing these guys were insane.

"I don't know who you are, buddy, but I just want to go back to my mom's house!" I yelled. David grunted in his sleep.

"I'm sure your mother makes you miserable!" he retorted.

"What?" I snapped. Why was this guy bringing up random facts? And how did he even know that?

"You have ADHD too, don't you?" he continued. My eyes widened a bit.

"I go to a school that specializes in ADHD," I said. "That's easy to guess."

"You have dyslexia," he said simply. My mouth dropped open.

"That's obvious," I said, but my voice broke on the last word.

"You're a demigod," he said again. I didn't like him saying that so much. "You're naturally able to read Greek, not English. Having ADHD keeps up your adrenaline in times of a fight."

"You. Are. Insane." I told him, gritting my teeth.

"Listen, Alissa," Thomas said. "Something is going on, and we don't know what it is. David and I were sent to find you and bring you to camp before you could get hurt." He looked out the window. The car had stopped by a hill. In the distance was some sort of opening to what I could only guess was Camp Half-Blood.

"There's nothing here," the driver said to us. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"This is it," Thomas said to him. "Thank you." Yhe driver shrugged and turned back to the front. Thomas shook David awake. "Wake up!" he yelled in the sleeping boy's ear. "We're here!"

David jumped up, his eyes snapping open, but quickly sank back with an easy smile.

"It's bloody time," he complained, yawning groggily. He opened the door and jumped out of the car. I got out and realized we had been in a taxi. David reached inside his pocket and took out a Visa card and tossed it to me. I looked at the identification number. It was mine.

Why did I have a Visa in the pocket of my jeans? Because I was way too lazy to put it back in my wallet last night. Lucky me.

"I hope you don't mind. We used your card," David said to me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I minded, but I don't think David would have cared, so I kept my mouth shut. "The driver didn't want to drive to Long Island without a pretty heavy tip." That got my attention.

"We're on Long Island?" I shrieked. David just looked at

me in amusement.

"Yup," he said. "The price was $164.96, but we had to add an extra hundred to the total. Sorry, mate." I just put the card back in my jeans pocket and started walking to the camp.

"Alissa!" David called from behind. I stopped, turning on my heels to face this annoying, Britsh jerk.

"You're going to be okay," he told me. "I promise."

**End of Chappy 5 =]**

**A little on the shorter side, I know, but this was the right place to end.**

**So, as promised, no more lengthy notes.**

**Review! Show your friends, your grandmothers, your dog, cat, cactus, etc.**

**Spoiler Alert: Somebody's getting a quest...(Because I'm sure that was such a surprise.)**

**=]**


	6. Good Timing

**Update: For those of you who read this chapter last night, there was a glitch in the formatting at the end of the chapter. That's because you weren't exactly supposed to _see_ that part yet... So let's just forget about it, okay? Good...**

From the second I stepped inside the grounds, I was flooded with questions I didn't have the answers to. I only had more questions as time went on, and nobody would answer them.

I walked past kids in orange t-shirts, falling into step just behind Thomas and David. Some kids watched me as I kept walking, while others looked at me uninterestedly before returning to whatever it was they were doing before. I guess a girl walking into camp with singed hair and holes in her shirt was a normal occurrence here. I watched as two of the older boys ran past me, bows under their arms.

"They're Athena's kids," Thomas said, interjecting my thoughts. "Her children are pretty good with archery."

Thomas would have kept talking like a crazy person if David hadn't dragged him away. The Apollo boys were calling them over. I saw Thomas turn around, not wanting to leave me behind. However, I was in good hands. Well, hooves.

I swear I almost fell to the ground when I saw Chiron, who ran activities at camp, was a centaur. Half of his body was normal, while the other half looked identical to a horse. Chiron basically gave me what he called "Camp Orientation". I mumbled incoherent responses, my brain refusing to work properly. The saytrs galloping all over the place didn't exactly reassure me that I was sane, either. Let's just say that it was no surprise when I ran away to sit alone at the edge of the forest.

After a little while, I saw a girl walking up to me. She sat down in the dirt next to me, her red hair brushing against my shoulder.

"Sorry," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm Kelsey," she said. "I figured you might need someone to talk to after everything that's been going on." I gave Kelsey a half-hearted smile. She gave me a grin in return and sat down on the ground beside me.

"I'm Alissa," I told her. I looked Kelsey over quickly. She seemed very easy and laid back. "So, who's your, um, parent?" I asked her. I was still waiting for someone to tell me everything was a joke.

"Dionysus," she replied. "He's the god of a lot of things, but most people remember him as the God of Wine," she said with a smile. I would have laughed if the conversation wasn't so foreign. Maybe. Kelsey tilted her head and looked at me with kind eyes.

"It's tough the first day," she told me sympathetically. "Gods, it's tough the first year!" Kelsey shook her head. We sat in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn't awkward. It was almost peaceful.

"It's not all bad," Kelsey said to me softly.

"I hope you're right," I whispered, not trusting myself to speak without my voice breaking. We sat in quiet again, Kelsey giving me time to think. But I didn't want to think. Maybe if I was a guy who was into sports or karate, I'd be excited to find out I had powers. However, I wasn't a guy, or much of a sports person. I didn' like fighting, and my whole life I'd tried to _blend in_. Knowing that I really was a freak didn't exactly make me feel better about myself.

"Where are Thomas and David?" I asked, trying to hide the unhappiness in their voice. I'd hoped they cared a little about what had happened to me, but I guess I was wrong. "They just took off and never came back." Kelsey looked at me sheepishly.

"Actually," she started, "the boys asked me to talk to you. Thomas didn't know how to explain all of this to you. As for David..." Kelsey's voice trailed off as she thought of the right words to say.

"David isn't exactly very reasurring," she finished. I laughed softly.

"I figured that out this morning," I said. Then I sighed, the smile on my face fading away. Kelsey was a big help, but this was still so much to take in. I didn't even know who my dad really was.

Kelsey suddenly gasped. She looked at a spot right above my head.

"What?" I asked, panicked. Kelsey looked up, her eyes wide. "What is it?" I asked again.

"You've been claimed, Alissa," she said to me. I looked up just in time to see a transparent symbol floating above my head before it dissolved. It was in the shape of a bow.

"What was that?" I asked carefully. Kelsey gave me a smile.

"When your claimed your godly parent identifies that you are his or her child," Kelsey said, as if she was reciting the words from a piece of paper. "The symbol of the bow represents Apollo. You are a daughter of Apollo, God of Prophecy, Music, and Healing."

Well, that was pretty convienent timing.

Everything that happened after that was pretty much a blur, but I ended up sleeping in the cabin designated to children of Apollo. I lay in bed, shocked at the day's turn of events. I would have thought sleep would be impossible, but I was unconscious before my head even hit the pillow.

**End of the Chapter! Wait...what? You thought I forgot about my story? Psh...**

**Actually, no. I tried to update each day, but my Euro teacher decided to give me essays to write, not fanfic. But I'm back! Special thanks to my last reviewer (anom) for getting me to get up and write this.**

**R & R pleasepleasepleaseeee=] Thank you so much to everyone reading. I'll update much faster now that I've gotten the hang of my insane amount of school work. Promise.**


	7. Boys Get Emotional

As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong. I heard a familiar voice, but I couldn't make out the words. The voice was high and feminine. Whoever it was sounded afraid. Soon, the words turned into screams. I couldn't see anything but flashes here and there. A flash of red here, a street sign there. I squinted my eyes, trying to pay attention. A green sign appeared that read fifty ninth street. After another flash came another sign with the words eighth avenue written.

I closed my eyes, unable to listen to the screams anymore. Suddenly, I opened my eyes and sat up. I looked around frantically. I was in a bunk in Apollo's cabin. I realized everything I had just seen was a dream.

I heard voices outside the cabin, and I realized half the cabin was empty. I got up slowly, the memory of the dream still flickering in the back of my mind. The ground felt cool against my bare feet, but I stepped outside, almost in a daze. Everything seemed chaotic. I saw David a few feet away, so I ran up to him.

"What's going on, David?" I shouted, trying to be heard over the commotion. David

looked at me, his face hard and full of anger.

"They took Kelsey!" he yelled, a wild look of panic flickering through his eyes.

"What?" I asked. "Who took her?" David clenched his jaw and took a deep breath before looking directly at me. I looked down at his hands, which trembled slightly until he threw them to his side.

"Echidna." He spat the name out like it was dripping with acid.

"She's the queen of all monsters," came a gentle and familiar voice. I hadn't noticed Thomas standing slightly behind David. His voice was full of sadness and frustration, but he kept it steady. "She wanted to be a goddess, but the Gods refused," he explained to me.

"Now she's taken Kelsey to make the gods angry!" David looked into the middle of the crowd, where Chiron was trying to keep order. He wasn't having much luck. Demigods were running around from cabin to cabin to spread the word of Kelsey's dissapearance. For once, nobody paid much attention to the man sitting in the wheelchair, his shoulders stooped under the pressure of the latest events.

I watched as David looked frantically around the scene unfolding, his green eyes shining with unshed tears until he forcefully ran his hands through his hair. His face was turned up the sky. "Gods, damn it!"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" I asked Thomas quietly. Kelsey was so nice to me. I couldn't believe someone would hurt her. I also couldn't bear to keep watching David's stricken face.

"They need demigods to fight," he told me hesitantly. I gasped. I remembered my dream. Could the red flashes I saw be of Kelsey and her hair? Could the screams I heard be hers?

"I'll go," I said.

"Somehow, I knew you'd say that," Thomas said, looking at me seriously. I held his gaze, showing him I wouldn't back down. "Oh, all right," he said, exasperated.

I quickly explained to David about my dream, who then spoke to Chiron, who then agreed

it was best for me to go. It was settled that I had to go on the quest with David, who also chose Thomas to accompany him.

We packed a few things. Each of us took some ambrosia and a weapon of choice.

Thomas gave me the knife from our fight in the gym. It was the only thing I had ever fought

with, so I chose to use it.

I could tell David wanted to leave as soon as possible, so I put on some shoes, changed into a better pair of clothes, and headed back out to where the boys were waiting. As I walked up, I saw David burning a slip of paper in the campfire.

"What's that?"

"A prophecy," David replied. Thomas shot him a glare. "What?," he said. "I didn't tell her what it said." Thomas didn't seem pleased. David gave a dramatic sigh, obviously pretending to be back to his normal self. "I'm going to put this in the car." He walked away towards the entrance of the camp. "Have fun making things for difficult for yourself."

Thomas stood next to the dying fire, silently contemplating in his head. The minutes past in silence as we both stood there, his eyes cast at the ground.

"What did the, um, prophecy say?"

"You don't have to to come on this quest," was his only reply. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, when David came walking back towards us.

"Yes, she does, and you know that," David said bluntly. "You know it never works out to try and get out of a prophecy." He turned his gaze on me. "And now you do, too." He turned around and started walking to the car, knowing we'd follow.

David opened the door for me and I slid into the backseat. I looked out the window, wondering how my life had turned upside down so quickly and asking myself why this camp was the only place I had ever felt truly safe, if only for a little while.

David turned to Thomas before jumping in next to me.

"We'll protect her, Tom," he said seriously. The door slammed shut and I heard Thomas's footsteps as he walked around to the driver's seat.

"Is everyone ready?"

**I hope you all like the new chapter! I resurrected this from the dead because I missed writing it so much. So, please R & R.:) If I get another review I will absolutely update this often. Harassment is encouraged:P.**

**Thanks:D**

**~Just an Ordinary Girl**


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